


till the end of the line

by helluvapilot



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - World War II, M/M, Richie Tozier is a Mess, Richie falls for eddie immediately
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-19
Updated: 2019-11-19
Packaged: 2021-02-13 00:56:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21485704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helluvapilot/pseuds/helluvapilot
Summary: "Solider, you do know who you're supposed to be fighting, right?"The doctor looked at the bruised and battered man sitting on the table in front of him. Just by a quick glance, it seemed apparent that there wasn't anything dire about the man's situation. He had definitely taken a decent beating. The left side of his face was already swelling slightly, and blood was dripping from his nose. Small crimson spots were all over his white shirt. There was a small crack in his glasses, marveling at how thick his glasses were. The army really will take just anyone these days, he thought and noted it on the clipboard so the solider could get a new pair.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Comments: 9
Kudos: 154





	till the end of the line

"Solider, you do know who you're supposed to be fighting, right?"

The doctor looked at the bruised and battered man sitting on the table in front of him. Just by a quick glance, it seemed apparent that there wasn't anything dire about the man's situation. He had definitely taken a decent beating. The left side of his face was already swelling slightly, and blood was dripping from his nose. Small crimson spots were all over his white shirt. There was a small crack in his glasses, marveling at how thick his glasses were. The army really will take just anyone these days, he thought and noted it on the clipboard so the solider could get a new pair.

Even with the bruising on his face, the doctor admitted that he was an attractive man. He shook that thought out of his mind as he went back to examining him. This was a more straightforward case than anything he had dealt with the last few days, and for that, he was grateful.

It was a relief to be patching up only small wounds compared to the carnage that he had dealt with the day before. He would take cleaning up some cuts over stitching a man together for him to die anyway. 

"You didn't know Americans can be real fuckers, too, Doc?"

The soldier wiped some of the blood on the back of his hand and looked at the army doctor. He couldn't believe that this was the person that was expected to save them if he was shot. He was small with a sad look to his large brown eyes, but who wasn't unhappy in this hellscape. 

"You're actually the doc and not some student?"

"I need to take your pulse."

"Enlisted or drafted? I want to know if you have a death wish or just shitty luck."

The doctor rolled his eyes, but there was a slight smirk on his face. He didn't say anything but grabbed the solider's arm to check his vitals. 

"Firm grip there, doc. You got a name?" 

"Does it hurt?" The doctor pointed toward the solider's face. 

The soldier winced as he pushed his glasses back up his nose slightly. "Barely. What am I supposed to call you?"

The doctor glanced down at the chart on a clipboard in front of him. "Just answer the questions so I can treat you, solider."

"Richie." 

"What?"

"I have a name. It's Richie Tozier." 

The doctor just stared at the man in front of him. There was something about him that he had to admit was charismatic, but he had a firm rule that he didn't get to care about any of his patients past their medical care. So many soldiers had come and gone in the last month alone that he didn't allow himself to get to know them. Knowing them created attachment, and that made a difficult job even more painful. 

Names created attachment. 

"You need stitches, solider." He emphasized the word hoping that he would understand it was a barrier. 

"Looks like you'll be leaving a mark, doc. Promise me, you won't ruin my perfect face." Richie smirked at the doctor. 

"I must be looking at a different face." He gave a small smile as he turned to get the right tools for the stitches. 

Richie adjusted his glasses again as he observed the doctor. He was slim, and his uniform was tight, not leaving much to the imagination. Riche appreciated it. He liked the way that his sleeves were rolled so he could see the muscles in his arm. 

"If you leave a scar, I hope it's at least a sexy one."

"This might sting a little," the doctor said. 

He raised his hand to Richie's face, and Richie noticed how soft his hands felt. The hands that were on Richie's face lately were as rough as the men they were attached to. It was easy to sometimes drink a little too much some nights and fall into bed with a fellow soldier. Sometimes he laughed that it was simpler for him to sleep with men while at war than it ever had been at home. 

Richie noticed at that moment just how close he was to this doctor. 

"So, what got you punched?"

"What makes you think I didn't throw the first punch?"

"Just a hunch." The doctor shrugged his shoulders slightly before continuing to work on the stitches. 

"My friend stutters real bad and some drunk bullying fucknut wouldn't leave him alone. You know, just the worst sort of person for Uncle Sam to hand a gun to." 

This wasn't the answer that he had expected. Most of the fights that he dealt with were caused by bruised egos or alcoholism. It rarely was caused by someone standing up for a friend. He appreciated the change of pace, and it made him more curious about the handsome man whose face he was holding currently. 

"So you punched him?"

Richie laughed. "No, I ran my mouth and then I wound up here, so not the worst night. Do I get a name, or will I just call you the cute doc who saved my face?"

There was a moment of silence that hung between the two. 

"Eddie Kaspbrak." The doctor surprising himself by giving over his name, but part of him wanted to hear this man say his name. "When I take those out, it'll better be the last time I see you."

"You're breaking my heart, Eddie, I thought we had a real connection."

Yes, Eddie liked the way that his name sounded when this man said it. It made his heartbeat quicken slightly, and he turned away from his as quickly as he could. He hoped that Richie didn't notice the slight flush on his cheeks. 

"The less you see me is better for you. Come back in a week so I can check how you're healing."

"It's a date." Richie winked. 

Eddie rolled his eyes. "Good night, soldier."

He mentally wanted to kick himself for not using his name. Instead, he relied on the barriers that he carefully built. His entire childhood, he had been trained on how to build fences to keep oneself safe from others, and he was now an expert. His mother would have been proud. He hated it.

Richie smiled and stepped out of the tent into the cold air of the night. He noticed that two figures that were huddled together not far. Cigarette smoke rose from the two of them. He wasn't surprised that they had waited outside for him. They had always had each others back since they met each other during training. 

"You're so d-d-dumb, Rich." 

"That's a weird way to say thank you, Big Bill." 

"He's right. That was stupid," said Stanley. "Oh god, why are you smiling like that?"

Richie smiled as he threw his arms around his two best friends. "I'm going to make a cute doctor fall in love with me."

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a comment or a kudos! I know this part is short but there will be more to follow I promsie!


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